Workflow Engine
A workflow engine designed to orchestrate and automate healthcare processes
Last updated
A workflow engine designed to orchestrate and automate healthcare processes
Last updated
The Aidbox workflow engine is a core module of the Aidbox FHIR backend that allows you to define and execute custom business logic based on the data state and events in Aidbox.
Having a workflow engine tightly integrated with a FHIR server offers numerous benefits for healthcare organizations seeking to optimize their processes and improve patient care. Here are some key advantages:
Seamless data access and manipulation: With direct access to FHIR resources and operations, workflows can easily read, create, update, and delete healthcare data without the need for complex data integration or mapping.
Real-time event processing: The event-driven architecture allows the workflow engine to respond immediately to changes in FHIR data, enabling rapid adaptation and reaction to various healthcare scenarios.
Simplified maintenance: Reduces operational complexity and resource requirements by consolidating workflow management and FHIR data processing within a single server.
Workflow Engine allows implementing both simple scenarios using predefined tasks and services with Aidbox Configuration or building applications of any complexity using provided API.
Task and Workflow are two basic concepts of Workflow Engine. Both are managed through Aidbox API.
Tasks are the simplest building block responsible for performing business actions. Aidbox provides a number of tasks out of the box. Additional tasks can be implemented outside of Aidbox in any programming language using an SDK or API directly.
For more complex application when a simple granular task is not enough, it is necessary to build a workflow. Workflow is a series of tasks that must be completed in a specific order and within a defined time frame to achieve a specific outcome.
Task Executor is responsible for executing the logic behind a task. For predefined tasks, they are run within Aidbox, and custom task executors could be implemented in any programming language using an SDK or API directly.
Workflow Executor is responsible for making decisions about the next steps in a workflow based on predefined rules, conditions, or logic. Workflow logic could be implemented using Workflow Engine SDK
Workflow Engine Services are responsible for starting tasks or workflow.
Subscription Trigger Service - allows starting task or workflow, when a certain event happens in aidbox.
For example: whenever an Observation resource with a value of blood pressure above some threshold is created in Aidbox - Subscription Trigger will start a Task that creates Appointment resource with reference for Observation in the `reason` field.
Scheduler Service - allows starting regular scheduled tasks or workflow.
To monitor the current state of tasks, workflow, and services Workflow Engine provides UI inside the Aidbox console. It's also possible to use API to implement your own user interface.
Resource generation with map-to-fhir-bundle-task and subscription triggers - How to create an encounter when a specific observation is created.
